Corrugation crimping device



May 19, 1953 v, c. NoRQuls'r ETAL 2,638,958 CORRUGTION CRIMPING DEvIE Filed Feb. 1 5, 1952 Patented May 19, 1953 CORRUGATION CRIMPING DEVICE Victor C. Norquist and Harl S. Day, Kansas City,

Mo., assignors to Butler Manufacturing Company, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Application February 15, 1952, Serial No. 271,692

8 Claims.

and refers more particularly to a device for flattening or crimping the ends of the corrugations along the edge of a corrugated metal sheet.

In using corrugated metal sheet as paneling for building structures, it often is desirable to flatten the ends of the corrugations along an edge of the sheet so as to provide a straight edge which can be inserted into a slot in some other structural part. This is particularly true in the case of buildings wherethe panel is to be joined to a window or door casing, a base board, or a foundation, in which case the joined surface is non-corrugated, and a relatively weather-tight seal is desired. Heretofore, this crimping or flattening operation has been accomplished by placing an anvil on the underside of the panel and striking the corrugations with a hammer or other suitable tool until the corrugation is flattened to the level of the sheet. However, this method has proved unsatisfactory in a number of respects, including a failure to obtain uniform crimps as well as presenting difficulties in holding the sheet in alignment with the anvil while the corrugation is being hammered down. This latter problem is probably the more serious, since the combined elort of at least two workers is generally required.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide a tool for the above purpose in which positive means is provided for holding the sheet in fixed relation to the anvil while the crimping takes place, and which is operable by one man. In this connection, it is also an object to provide a tool which by virtue of the above characteristics insures of a uniform crimp at each of the corrugations.

It is a further object to provide a tool in which crimping or flattening of the corrugations may be effected with ease and rapidity without severe weakening of the metal sheet. 4

Still another object is to provide a novel means whereby clamping of the sheet to the tool, and the subsequent release following the crimping action, is accomplished with facility and rapidity.

A further object is to provide a crimping tool which is simple in construction, of extreme durability, and fool-proof in operation.

Other and further objects, together with the appurtenant features of novelty, will appear in the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of the specification and are to be read in conjunction therewith, and in which like reference numerals are used to indicate like parts in the various views,

Fig. l is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment of my invention with a corrugated sheet properly positioned for crimping,

Fig.. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. l in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the invention with the clamping means open and ready for insertion of the corrugated sheet, 4

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the invention, partially in section, illustrating the position of the elements and the sheet immediately after the crimping operation has been completed,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a sheet which has been crimped with my invention.

Referring to the drawing, the preferred embodiment of my invention has been designed for use with a sheet having corrugations of the general character indicated in Fig. 5. The corrugation has an upwardly arched central portion IIJ which is flanked on either side by flat portions lila which are raised slightly above the level of the sheet Hlb. It will be understood, of course, that only a portion of the sheet has been shown; in actual practice, the corrugations are spaced at suitable intervals across the sheet., As will appear hereinafter, the basic principle of my device is equally applicable to corrugations having entirely different conformations than the particular one shown, which has been selected solely for illustrative purposes.

Turning now to a description of the crimping tool, the main body or base thereof consists of a relatively thick elongated rectangular plate l2 having at one end an upwardly projecting mandrel l 4 adapted to t within the underside of the corrugation In of the sheet. As is best seen in- Fig. 2, the mandrel i4 is formed identically with the cross-sectional outline of the corrugation, including shoulders Illa which engage the nat .portions Illa of the corrugation and secondary shoulders 14h along the outer edges which support the sheet I Ubi. As clearly shown in Fig. 3, the length of the mandrel I4 is measurably less than that of plate I2, and its inner end is inclined downwardly as at |40. Projecting forwardly of the inclined face Mc for a relatively short distance is a flat section I4d which is ofequal height with shoulders I4a.

Positioned above and on either side of the mandrel Il) are two parallel arms I6 which extend to the opposite end of plate I2 where they are pivotally mounted by a pivotpin I8, forming in effect a yoke in which the legs are disposed on opposite sides of the mandrel. The pivot pin I8 is carried by a suitably bored upstanding block 20 affixed to the upper surface of plate I2, and arms I5 are held on the pin by cotter keys 22 at each end of the latter.

The free ends of arms I6, which are located substantially above the rear or outer end of mandrel I4, are connected by means of another pin 24 whicht is receivedE in upstandin'g ears 'or lugs ISa :formed on 'the endsv of arm's I6'. Carried by the pin 24 and extending between and parallel to the arms I6 is a pivotal member 26 in the' form of a bar having on the underside' of it'sfree `end a forming block 26a. The barv26 is centered with respect to the arms I 6 by'washers 28' which are disposed on the pin 2liv between the' 'respective sides of the bar 26 andthe adjacent arms. The width of the forming or striking block 26a. is slightly less than the spacing between arms I6 to allow free movement therebetween, andits lower surface is complementary with the adjacent end of the mandrel I4, having an inclined f'ace 2'Bbadapte'd to register with the inclined face-154e' of the 'mandrel' and a flat bottom 26o corresponding to the-fiat section Idd. The upper surface of the bar 26 is provided with a cylindrical' 'boss 26d which', as will be explained present- Iy; s'erves -as 'the striking surface for a hammer or `other suitable 'tool' when the device is in use.

As is believed evident from the'd'escription thus fa'r, the` pivotal mounting of the arms IB provides a jaw-like arrangement in which the arms may be' lifted to allow insertion of the edge of the sheet I0b with' the corrugation I0 in position on themandr'el Il. Similarly, the striking or forming block 26a may be lifted above the arms I6 to allow the sheet to pass thereunder and be positioned with its edge substantially vertically above theend of the 'at section Md of the mand'rel, `as shown at Fig. l.

Located between the end ofthe mandrel I4 and"- the pivot point for the arms I6' is an actuating mechanism' for depressing the arms I6 to cla-mplthe-sheet' rmly in position on the-mandrel I4. Basically, this mechanism comprises a cylindrical `member 2'9` disposed transversely across the' upper surface of the arms and carried at vopposite ends Yby upstanding legs 3d securedat their lower ends to the sides of the base plate I2. The cylinder 2`8 is mounted for rotation about a longitudinal axis offset from its central axis in the form of an eccentric, being carried by a pin 352' journaled in the legs 3l? and retained in position' by cotter keys 34 at each end.` An elongate handle SG projects substantially radially from 'the' center of the cylinder E51; and when th'ehandles isdrawn downwardl'y (iin the-direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 4);, the periphery of thevcylinder 2'8 serves as a c'amming surface engaging the upper surfaces of arms I'B' to depress the arms i6 downwardly and thereby clamp' th'e flat portions IIla of the corruga-tion betweenv the bottoms of the arms Iii and-"the shoulders 'Mc/of the mandrel.

The operation of the striking block 26a is thought t0 be evident from the drawings and the foregoing description. With the sheet IIlb clamped in position in the manner described above; the' block' rests on the unsupported' portion of the corrugation I!) extending past the-inclined face'lc of. the mandrel; I4. To` effect the flattening oircrimping, the'V boss 22d' above'fthe blocky isstruck sharply by' a hammer or' other suitable toolfthereby causing the" unsupported' portion vof the" corrugation. to. collapse'. As` the hammeringY continues', thesld'e-'walls of the corrugation foldl inwardly (thesides cf the arms' t6 Apreventing an outward fold) until a flat configuration similar to that indicated at |00 in Fig. 5 is obtained. The complementary inclined faces I4c and 26e of the mandrel and striking block provide a gradual decrease in height which militates against the possibility of shearing of the sheet material' during the crimping operation;

It 4will be obvious that by positioning the sheet as desired relative the mandrel Ill, the length of the' flattened section Ic can be varied within a' relatively' wide range. For example, it is possible to eliminate the iiat, folded section Iilc, and bring the taper down to the edge of the sheet, by 'inserting the sheet only far enough to bring its edge in. vertical alignment with the base of the inclined face Mc of the mandrel I4. With the slree't in this position, the only effect obtained by the striking block 26a would be to produce a closed end on the corrugation. Adjustment of the sheet longitudinally of the mandrel' therefore canV be used to obtain the part'i'cular effect sought. In'any of these situations, only one worker is required. The clamping of the sheet to' the' mandrel is carried out by one handtlirou'gh the handled@ while the other hand free` to wield the hammer. Once clamped in'- te position, lthe sheet cannot shift or slide, thus insuring that 'the-operation can be carried out quickly and'` that uniformity in the crimp will be obtained.

Fromthe foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth together with Iother advantages which are obvious and whichI are inherent vto the structure.

'It will-be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be leniplo'yedwithout reference to other features and subc'om-binations. This is contemplated Vby and is within the scope yof the claims.

As many-possible embodiments may be` made the* invention 'withouty departing 'from the scope thereoff, it-is' tol be understoodV that all-matter hereinset forth or shown in the accompanyingy drawings isto be interpreted as illustrative andi-notin a limiting sense.

Havingthus describedlour invention, we claim:

"1..I`i1 i1-device ofthe character described, a mandrel yadapted' to bel 'fitted intothe concave side olf-a c'orrug-ation cfa corrugated metal sheet, amember cooperating with said mandrel com'- pr'ing a 'yoke valigned with said mandrel' and ha ingfits legs disposed on'opp'osite sides thereof, yyoirebe'ing movable vertically with respect 'toy saidy mandrel permit the placing or' the corrugated sheet therebetween with a portionof said corrugation extending beyond" the end' of said' inandrehmeans 'for drawing said yoke/'and mandrel `together' thereby to clamp said 'sheet firmly on said mandrel; and a forming block normally positioned above and beyond one end of the mandrel and movable vertically relative thereto whereby any portion' of'said corrugation projecting pas-t 'the end of 'said mandrelY canbe reduced" in height underv the impact of said forming' block.

f3. A device in claim' 1 wherein said" yoke is pivotally connectedwith said mandrelto form' a :aw-like' structure for 'receiving the 'corrugated 3. Ald'eifice asin claimd wherein saidj forming block connected to and carried by saidyoke.

4i". device aslinbclaiin'l wherein s'aidffcrm'ing'- block and the adjacent end of said'mandrelare provided with complementary inclined surfaces.

5. In a device of the character described, a mandrel adapted to t into the concave side of a corrugation of a corrugated metal sheet, a support for said mandrel having its edges adapted to underlievthe sheet on each side of the corrugation,a yoke pivotally connected with said support at a point remote from the end of the mandrel, vlsaid yoke having its legs disposed on opposite sides of said mandrel and above the sheet, means operable to draw sal-d yoke and said support together thereby to clamp the sheet tightly therebetween, and a vertically movable forming block carried between the legs of said yoke adjacent one end of the mandrel, said forming block l being adapted to be lifted to a position where its lowest point is above the level of the highest point on the mandrel whereby it overlies any portion of the corrugation extending beyond the end of :the mandrel.

6. A device as in claim 5 wherein said means comprises va camming member connected with said support and having its camming surface adapted to engage the top of the yoke.

7. A device as in claim 6 wherein said camming member comprises a cylinder extending transversely across the top of said yoke and overlying same, said cylinder being mounted for rotation about an eccentric axis.

8. A device as in claim 5 including an arm pivoted at one end between the legs of the yoke labove the mandrel and substantially aligned therewith, the forming block being mounted on "the free end of said arm 

